


Falling For You

by babinforaelin



Category: Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Flirting, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Skydiving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:27:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25913590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babinforaelin/pseuds/babinforaelin
Summary: Aelin takes her best friend skydiving for her birthday, but doesn’t expect to have such a handsome instructor.Rowaelin Skydiving AU!
Relationships: Aelin Ashryver Galathynius | Celaena Sardothien & Rowan Whitethorn, Aelin Ashryver Galathynius | Celaena Sardothien/Rowan Whitethorn
Comments: 3
Kudos: 71





	Falling For You

**Author's Note:**

> Here is a cute little one shot of Rowaelin skydiving, featuring a very nervous Lysandra. Enjoy xx
> 
> (also is it obvious that I've never skydived lol?)

“I absolutely hate you Aelin,” Lysandra groaned from the backseat of the van, which was currently making its way to the plane situated in the middle of the tarmac. Lysandra saw it and screwed her eyes shut, taking deep breaths to try and calm her nerves.

Aelin spun around in her seat to face her best friend, a grin plastered on her face.

“You told me you wanted to do something spontaneous and fun for your birthday, Lys. Don’t tell me that skydiving doesn’t fit either of those categories.”

Lysandra peeled open an eye and glowered at Aelin. “Spontaneous, maybe. Fun? Definitely not.”

Her best friend’s horror only made Aelin grin wider.

She had pulled Lysandra out of bed early that morning, despite her grumbling, and Aedion had driven them both out to the beach. Lysandra, thinking her friends were going to treat her to a day in the surf, paled when Aedion pulled up to a small ram-shackled shop, the words Skull’s Bay Skydiving hanging above the door. Some wicked part of Aelin chuckled when she saw Lysandra’s face pale as she took in the sign.

There had been lots of arguing and cursing, as well as some kicking and death threats while Aedion and Aelin hauled Lysandra out of the car and into the shop. Two hours (and a terrible safety demonstration) later, Aelin and Lysandra were finally about to get on the plane. 

There were a few other people in the van with them, all a mixture of anxious and excited. Aelin, for one, could hardly contain her delight as the van pulled up a short distance away from the plane.

The driver turned around in his seat and looked at everyone. Lorcan, Aelin recalled his name, had been the one to go over the safety briefing with them all. His utter lack of interest in his job, or their personal safety, hadn’t made Lysandra feel any better about her birthday surprise.

“Your instructors are already by the plane,” Lorcan grumbled as he slid his dark sunglasses down his nose to look everyone in the eye. “Listen to them, do as they say, don’t do anything stupid,” was all he said before jumping out of the van and opening the sliding door, people piling out.

Aelin turned to look at Lysandra once more, snickering as her friend started murmuring what sounded like prayers.

* * *

A team of six men, including Lorcan, stood by the plane, all looking a bit disinterested in the six individuals that were in front of them. Lorcan read names off a piece of folded paper, assigning instructors to customers.

“Lysandra?” He asked the group, and the dark-haired beauty timidly raised her hand, looking for the most part like she wanted the ground to open up and envelope her. Lorcan quickly scanned her over, before pointing to a member of his team. “You’re with Fenrys.”

Fenrys, a young and reckless looking man grinned at Lysandra as he gave her a quick pat on the back and led her over to a shelf of harnesses and parachutes. Aelin watched her go, trying to contain her grin as Lysandra started hyperventilating at the sight of them.

“Aelin?” Lorcan called. She grinned at him, and he simply pointed to a white-haired man behind him.

“You’re with Rowan.”

Rowan stalked over to her, his black ‘Skulls Bay Skydiving’ shirt barely fitting his muscular frame. He didn’t even stop walking to introduce himself, merely nodding his head to the shelf of harnesses that Lysandra was currently stepping into.

Hurry up, his nod seemed to say. Aelin pursed her lips but followed after him. Prick.

Aelin hated to admit it, but he was pretty attractive. Okay, he was very attractive. But she could tell he had a bad attitude, even by the way his eyes quickly scanned her body, assessing, before he reached over and grabbed a harness off the shelf.

“So, Rowan was it?” Aelin asked, and he grunted, nodding his head as he made quick work of un-buckling straps on the harness and readjusting them.

“How long have you been skydiving for?”

“A while,” he rumbled, yanking on straps to secure them.

“How long is a while?”

His eyes flickered with annoyance. Not much of a talker then. “Four years.”

Aelin smirked, “so I’ll take it that I’m in good hands?”

He knelt down in front of her, holding the harness so that she could slip her legs through. Aelin held his shoulders for balance.

“Indeed,” he said, voice rough.

Aelin had to agree that his hands were, in fact, very good as they shimmied the harness up her thighs until it settled at her waist. Then he started tugging on the straps, securing them around her abdomen. Each tug, bringing her body a fraction closer to his.

Aelin searched his face for any sign of flirtation but found none. She frowned a bit.

“So when do we get on the plane?”

“When we finish this,” he grumbled, yanking on a strap around her thigh a bit harder than necessary.

“What happens when we get up there?” she pressed.

He looked up at her then, a mixture of frustration and annoyance spread across his features. But she smiled and she could have sworn his features softened a bit.

He looked back at his hands, “Didn’t Lorcan go through this with you all?”

Aelin only shrugged, Rowan rising to his feet again before turning to rummage through the shelf behind him. He pulled out two pairs of goggles, handing one to Aelin and pulling the other pair around his neck. Aelin did the same.

Rowan sighed through his nose.

“The plane is going to reach fourteen-thousand feet above the beach, and when we get the okay we are all going to jump out of the plane one by one. Then we will free-fall at 200 kilometres per hour, for approximately sixty seconds, before we open up the parachute and float under canopy for five to seven minutes. Then we will direct the parachute and land in the designated area of the beach, and if you don’t lift your legs up when I tell you to, you’ll probably break them,” Rowan yanked hard on a strap near her chest, “so listen.”

Aelin only grinned at his frank explanation, which seemed to spur on his irritation even further. She could have sworn she heard him growl.

“Any questions?” He spat out.

Aelin nodded, “Yeah, is it possible to free fall for longer than sixty seconds?”

Rowan blinked, taken aback. It was rare to find a first-timer who wasn’t locked up with fear, let alone someone wanting to do something as extreme as free-falling for longer than they have to.

“How much longer where you thinking?”

* * *

The plane’s engine sputtered to life, propellers spinning. With twelve people crammed onto the floor of the tiny plane, Aelin didn’t even have room to reach over and hold Lysandra’s hand. Her friend had her eyes screwed shut, her beautiful face pale instead of her usual tan complexion. Fenrys sat behind her, the two of them harnessed together, and he spoke comforting words in her ear over the roar of the engine.

Aelin and Rowan sat in a similar position, and Aelin tried her best to ignore his muscular legs wrapped around her body. She honestly didn’t know why he had such an effect on her. Sure he was attractive, but Aelin had met criminals who were nicer. Rowan was just… stone cold. Though his body certainly wasn’t. Especially as he leaned into her ear.

“Do you want your friend to go first, or should we?”

Aelin turned around as best she could, “Her. She will worry more if we go first.”

Rowan nodded and then gestured to Fenrys, who gave a thumbs up.

Slowly the plane rose further into the air, and the steady thrum of the engine seemed to calm Lysandra down somewhat. Enough that she peeled open her eyes and leant over to Aelin.

“How many people are going to be there to watch?”

“Not that many,” Aelin replied and began counting with her fingers. “Aedion obviously, Nehemia, Chaol and Nesryn, Dorian and Manon are bringing Fleetfoot with them and-”

“Okay, so basically everyone we know,” Lysandra sighed.

“Yeah so don’t throw up when you get back down, or else you’ll be publically humiliated,” Aelin grinned. Lysandra’s full lips quirked up in a small smile.

“Just in case this ends with me splattered on the ground like a pancake,”

“Which it won’t,” Fenrys piped with a grin. Lysandra elbowed him gently in the ribs and he pretended to groan. She continued.

“Just in case, I leave my extensive shoe collection to you. Not that I should, since you’re the reason I could potentially be a pancake.”

Aelin winked at her friend, “but at least you could die knowing that your Louis Vuitton’s were left in good hands.”

Lysandra pursed her lips but nodded. “Very true. In that case, you can raid my closet too.”

Before Aelin could reply, Rowan pointed out the window of the plane. Skulls Bay stretched out below them, the blues and greens of the ocean shining like a thousands jewels.

“It’s beautiful,” Aelin said, more to herself than anyone else.

Rowan shifted slightly behind her.

“I know. It’s the second best part of the job.”

Aelin turned her head to look at him.

“What’s the best?”

A few places in front of them, Lorcan and his diver scooted to the small roller door on the side of the plane and he lifted it open. Cold wind rushed into the plane as the two of them swung their legs out the side of the plane.

Aelin felt Rowan grin behind her.

“This part.”

* * *

One pair at a time, the instructors and their partners jumped out of the plane. Aelin’s eyes were plastered on each free-fall, unable to contain her excitement as parachutes popped open one by one. Then, only Lysandra and Aelin were left to jump.

“You ready to go Lysandra?” Fenrys shouted to the dark-haired beauty. She shook her head and grasped the wall of the plane. 

“Lys,” Aelin cooed and her friend slowly turned to look at her. “You’ll love it, I promise. We have done scarier things than this. Much scarier things.”

Lysandra nodded but didn’t look convinced. Aelin opened her mouth again, but was cut off by the rough voice from behind her.

“The scariest part is the free-fall, and that is over before you know it. Then, when the parachute goes up, you get to let the wind carry you over one of the most beautiful places in Adarlan. You can see everything, from animals in the ocean to the whole population of Skulls Bay going about their lives. It’s one of the most … humbling things you can do. And it is worth those scary sixty seconds of free-fall. I promise.” 

Lysandra took a few more deep breaths before she nodded again, with confidence, and Fenrys scooted them to the edge of the plane before she could change her mind.

She looked at Aelin one last time.

“Catch you on the flip side.”

Aelin blew her a kiss, and then Fenrys pushed out of the plane.

A loud “FUUUUUUUUUUUUCK,” followed and Aelin laughed.

Then Rowan was pushing them to the edge.

“We have to wait a bit longer before we jump, or else we might catch up to them in our free-fall.”

Aelin nodded, watching as Lysandra and Fenrys’ yellow parachute opened up. She breathed a sigh of relief.

Thirty seconds passed, then a minute. Rowan checked his watch.

“You ready?” he asked into her ear.

Aelin grinned, “let’s do this.”

Then Rowan pushed them out of the plane.

* * *

The free-fall was unlike anything she had experienced. Wind ripped around them, whipping hair from her braid. Aelin was exhilarated, filled with such unimaginable bliss that she let out a scream of joy. Rowan’s firm body was pressed up behind her, and she felt his chuckle reverberate through her own chest. As if the wind was ripping away his cold exterior, Rowan too let out a whoop of happiness.

Then he flipped them, Rowan’s back taking the brunt of the howling wind.

“Do you want to do tumbles?” Rowan shouted.

Aelin only laughed, which was enough of an answer to Rowan.

He pressed Aelin’s back flush against his chest and curled his body around her own until she followed suit.

Before Aelin knew what had happened they were spinning around and around, curving through space.

Then Rowan grabbed her arms, and spread them wide. Once again they were flat, Aelin underneath him with the wind rushing around them.

Rowan kept twisting and turning them, both of them laughing and screaming above the roaring wind.

The yellow parachute below them got closer and closer to land, and Rowan checked his watch.

“We’ve got to pull the parachute,” he shouted. “One last flip?”

“Hell yes!” Aelin yelled back to him.

Rowan tumbled them one last time, Aelin finally beginning to lose all sense of up and down, before seamlessly pulling the cord of the parachute and suddenly…

They were floating. The feeling so foreign after the adrenaline rush they had both just experienced. The extra free-fall time meant that they were closer to the ground than the other pairs had been when they’d pulled their parachutes, but Aelin could still see everything Rowan had described earlier.

The ocean spread beneath them like a giant aquamarine gemstone, glittering in the midday sun. The white sand of Skulls Bay was the home to tourists and locals alike, who spread out on colourful beach towels.

“How is this only your second favourite part of the job?” Aelin asked.

Rowan pulled one of the handles and they veered right.

“In moments like this… it certainly fights for the top spot.”

The way he said it… Aelin blushed. “Oh? And what makes this moment so special?”

He let out a laugh from behind her.

“Lot’s of things,” he said in a voice that was gentler than what she had heard before.

“Do I get to know these things?”

He made an amused noise. “Maybe one day.”

Aelin tried to turn her head to look at him.

“One day?”

Rowan just smirked at her and veered left.

Aelin hadn’t realised how close the beach had become. Rowan glided them down further and Aelin saw Lysandra jumping and waving further down the beach.

Rowan told her to bring her legs up and they came in fast down the makeshift runway on the beach, marked with small orange cones. They skidded to a halt in the sand, but the momentum and the parachute lurched them forward again and they fell to their knees.

Aelin started giggling, the adrenaline of it all catching back up with her. She felt Rowan unbuckle the harness and loosening straps. With a click, Rowan detached himself from her back and moved to her side, offering a hand. Aelin took it with a grin and she was shocked when he sent a smirk back.

People in Skulls Bay Skydiving shirts began collecting up the parachute as Rowan led Aelin further down the beach.

Lysandra started sprinting at them, waving her hands in the air with excitement. Her arms were around Aelin in a heartbeat.

“I SURVIVED! Aelin I survived! Not only that, but I loved it! So much. Can we do it again? Please?”

Aelin laughed at her friends babbling, tightening her arms around her waist.

“I told you so.”

* * *

After a brief photo with all the divers and their instructors, and a quick chat with all of their friends, Lorcan led them to the Skulls Bay Skydiving shop to get out of the harnesses.

Rowan had already taken his off on the walk there, and now had his slung over his shoulder.

Aelin stood patiently while he loosened the straps at her chest, taking longer than she would have thought necessary. The idea made her blush slightly.

Finally he had them unclasped, and crouched down in front of her, unfastening the straps at her thighs.

“You’re taking an awfully long time there, Rowan.”

He glanced up at her, smirking.

“Forgive me for appreciating the view.”

Aelin grinned. “Is this the same view you were appreciating in the sky?”

Rowan laughed, “and if it is?”

“Then I’d suggest you ask the view out after work, before you appreciate her any more.”

His hands made quick work of the last strap, before they stopped on her thighs.

“And where, exactly, would the view like to go?”

Aelin tapped her chin. “We are all going out for drinks tonight for Lysandra’s birthday. I’ve heard the view will be looking extra appetizing tonight too.”

Rowan rose from the ground, until he was towering over her once again.

“Well I certainly don’t want to miss that.”

The end.


End file.
